Delivering Competent Engineering Services

In Delivering Competent Engineering Services, you'll learn ...

• The basic principles that underlie the delivery of competent engineering services to clients
• The 4 Cs of business and why they are important in the execution of engineering work
• The root cause of most professional liability claims
• How to avoid the common pitfalls that increase your exposure to professional liability claims

Overview

Credit: 2 PDH

Length: 25 pages

This course explains the basic principles that underlie the delivery of competent engineering services to clients and how to avoid the pitfalls that lead to being sued by them in court for breach of contract and/or malpractice. The debilitating effects of professional liability claims can best be appreciated by those who have experienced them. The resulting drawn-out court litigation results in psychological trauma for all parties involved and represents a scattering of energies, a drag on productivity, a drain on profitability, an enormous waste of time and the loss of a client.

The material presented is written from the perspective of a “Lead Engineer/Project Manager” working for a major Engineering Contractor. That person will usually work with and supervise numerous engineers, consultants and subcontractors to deliver highly sophisticated engineering services to clients over periods of months or years. For all intent and purposes he/she represents his/her company that entrusted him/her to deliver the contracted services in an exemplary and professional fashion.

The lessons presented here review from a contractor's perspective promising strategies that will help you keep a satisfied client and minimize your exposure to unwarranted professional claims. You will benefit by learning how to take simple actions to avoid the common pitfalls that increase your exposure to claims. To accomplish this goal the following topics are examined:

• Elements of a contract
• Methods for establishing and maintaining credibility
• Staff competence and performance
• Communication skills

These elements represent the 4 Cs of business: contract, credibility, competence and communication. Based on personal experience and from my readings on this subject, it appears that large numbers of professional liability claims result from a breakdown in communication between the client and contractor. Clear communication between the parties can prevent a significant number of claims from being filed in the first place. The other components of the 4Cs are equally important to the success of your undertakings and are also discussed in this course.

If these recommendations in this course are not heeded, you run the risk of exposing yourself to being sued by unhappy clients for the delivery of poor or substandard services. Being able to recognize the pitfalls in the terms and conditions of a standard contract is vital to developing effective and proven strategies to minimize your exposure to unwarranted liabilities during the execution of your work.

In summary, the success of your business depends to a great extent on the quality of your contract, the credibility and confidence you can instill in your client, the competence of your staff and the clarity of your communication with your client and staff.

Finally, you should then be able to evaluate your own projects and identify which aspects or components of your work expose you unnecessarily to the possibility of being sued in court for the unfavorable outcomes of your work. You should also be able to understand what benefits you could realize if the preventive measures presented in this course are properly implemented.